✪ 001: Video

[megazero_to_superhero]

[At first, there's only audio. A guy with a pretty thick Rhode Island accent can be heard muttering between keystrokes and clicks.]

—'Kay, where's da video option on dis thing ...

[And suddenly there's video. Oh, look, it's David, broadcasting from one of the library termninals! And boy, from the way he's slouching, does he look really worn out.]

—yeah, dere, dat works.

[In an attempt to try and not look so weak (and also so that people might understand him better through his fatigue), David straightens up with some effort and takes the unlit cigar out of his mouth and holds it between the fingers of his left hand before continuing.]

'Kay, so. All dat talk about da "Second Magic" and operating on parallel worlds got me curious.

See, we got all kindsa people in dis Tower, from all kindsa different dimensions. An' we're all here 'cause dat dimension-killing whatsit got loose in our home towns. But how many people here have actually been to other dimensions before gettin' brought here?

I ask, 'cause I'm one of 'em. It was a big deal where I'm from—even coined a name for our dimension, Primal Earth. Kinda have to come up with a name for da home team when you got entire alternate realities tryin' to make war on you, yanno? [Here, David briefly holds up two fingers with his other hand to illustrate what he's about to say—and he's actually careful to not do it in the way that's obscene to British people.] Went through two of dose. And we had to deal with dis punk who eats entire dimensions, Rularuu da Ravager. For a time I was thinkin' dat dimension-killing thing was actually him runnin' wild.

[David heaves a sigh as he puts the cigar back in his mouth.]

So yeah. I was actually doin' a lot of scoutin' missions for Portal Corp, helpin' explore unknown dimensions and watch for potential threats when da Tower nabbed me. How 'bout you guys? Any of youse done da dimension-hoppin' thing before?

Comments

[megazero_to_superhero]

[That actually gets David to smile and chuckle, despite his fatigue.]

Oh man, dat's right, I never said, did I?

[He pats the chest plate of his powered armor suit.]

I'm a superhero too. Well, I ain't been feelin' so "super" here, but back home I was federally registered an' everything.

[warriorscribe]

Ah...

*Well, that's. A bit confusing.* Registered? So they're like an army?

*It's the best he can think of, really. Registering for an army wasn't at all the same as it is in modern times for him, but...*

[megazero_to_superhero]

Heh, naw—not quite like an army. S'more a government thing, keep tabs on da people with superpowers, yanno? Like you gotta get a license to drive a car, you gotta get a license to suit up an' fight crime.

[David glances down and fiddles with something on his belt, out of sight of the camera.]

Lesse ... S'gotta still be here, it ain't gonna blow up on me—aha!

[Now his fiddling's in sight of the camera. He's fished out his wallet, and he's busy pulling out his Paragon City Hero Registration ID card, which he puts up to the camera so that Enoch can see the details. Among the noteworthy details on the card—aside from his mugshot and the sort of metrics one would expect from an ID card—are that it lists his Origin as Technology, his Archetype as Blaster, and provides a brief list of his powers. They all seem related to either his assault rifle or his suit, with a few exceptions.]

Dere, see?

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch leans in to read the card, not seeming to really recognize anything about it except the most obvious.*

...A car? That's a sort of vehicle, isn't it?

*Yes, even in his book binge about halfway through his stay here so far he never encountered a car. Or at least, not enough context about one to know anything more than the very basic identifier of "a vehicle".*

[megazero_to_superhero]

[It's cool, Enoch! David's figured out you're from an older time.]

Yeah. Like dat motorcycle you got, 'cept with four wheels. An' you ride inside 'em an' not on 'em. So more like a carriage. Or a chariot, I guess?

[warriorscribe]

Oh...

*He's...actually envisioning a carriage pulled by motorcycle riders. Since he's equated motorcycle with horses for ease of reference. And he's too tired to think about David's direct comparison. Whoops.*

So you would need a license to ride a motorcycle, too?

*...except for that.*

[megazero_to_superhero]

[That would be the best thing ever. Just imagine—Santa's sleigh pulled by a biker gang!]

Yep. Any kinda motorized vehicle, really. 'Cept for some stuff dat ain't "street legal."

[David pulls at one of his shoulder armor pieces with a hand, as if working out a sore muscle.]

Same goes with flyin', too, an' dat's for both stuff motorized an' not. But for us heroes, registration covers anything we can do with our powers an' gadgets, so I'm covered.

[warriorscribe]

Why is such restriction needed?

*Sure, he knows how utterly powerful a motorcycle is, but...surely someone who grew up around such machines would be responsible around them? Humanity would have earned it this time, after all...

He's kind of missing a very important point here.*

[megazero_to_superhero]

Well, you gotta prove you can handle drivin' somethin' like a car, 'cause you can kill someone—or get yourself killed—with dem things.

[David frowns.]

Still happens a lot.

[warriorscribe]

Ah, so a proof of training with it. With advancement, responsibility. *He smiles tiredly.* Just as it should be.

[megazero_to_superhero]

Yeah. S'a bit of a job da police has, tryin' to make sure people stay responsible. Dat ain't somethin' heroes usually deal with, but hey, if I catch someone bein' stupid with deir car? I'll go over an' talk to 'em. Call da police if dey won't cut it out.

[Of course, heroes in Paragon are known for eccentric use of their powers. Like Synapse doing super-speed sprints on the metrorail.]